The Day She Brought Him Luck
by taigercreator
Summary: Pre-series. The day Luke met Lorelai and beyond, in Luke's point of view.
1. Bring You Luck

The place was abuzz, Luke was amazed at how much business he was getting. It was the first time his diner had been so busy since he opened it last year and he didn't know whether to be proud or annoyed. They'd had an influx of tourists that summer from some new festival Taylor Doose had hoodwinked the town into voting into existence. Every time he turned away from the door to take care of a customer the door would jingle once more, and he'd begun to call out gruffly for them to sit where they liked without even looking to see who walked in.

"Hey, I could really use a jolt! It's my first day as manager of the inn and I could really use some coffee. I've heard you make an amazing cup of coffee," his newest customer called out to him.

"I'll be with you in a moment, sit where you like," he said in the middle of taking someone's order.

"But see, I don't have time to sit down and wait. I'm already behind schedule, I just need a quick cup and I'm out."

Luke turned in frustration, hand held up to his current customer to wait a moment, "Sit down and wait your turn!"

For one-half second, he was completely frozen by her sparkling blue eyes flashing merrily before him. He wasn't well acquainted with her, but Luke had seen her around town several times, and once when he'd met Mia at the Independence Inn. She had been a maid there or something.

The half second was gone as the woman thrust some bills into his hand.

"See, I've already paid, including tip, all you gotta do is pour," she said, "it's easy." She shadowed him as he tried in vain to ignore her as he got to his other customers, the ones who had actually sat down and had been waiting their turn like civilized people were supposed to do.

"I'm well trained in the skill of the wear down, trained under the master of the wear down, Emily Gilmore. Just ask my father and he'll tell you how masterful she is."

"Gah, you're so annoying!" Luke cried when he couldn't take her chatter any longer, "Sit down and shut up! Or I'll kick you out!"

He left her standing in the center of the diner, mouth agape as she watched him move from the tables to behind the counter.

Luke barely noticed her sweet talking Morey into giving her a portion of his newspaper and didn't notice when she suddenly appeared in his path.

"Geez," he said in shock at having almost run into her, "you'd make a good horror movie."

"What's your birthday?"

His face wrinkled in confusion, "What?"

"I want to know when you were born," she said.

"Why?" he asked as he moved passed her with an order of bacon and eggs for a table near the door.

"I'm not attempting identity theft here, I just want to know your birthday," she said.

"November," he said warily.

"and the day?"

"21st," he said as he served the table their breakfast. When there was silence and no sign of her for a moment, he found it hard to believe that he had finally shaken her off.

Sure enough, she appeared again before him and handed him a ripped portion of the newspaper.

"Take a look, our meeting was predicted by the stars," the woman said. Luke snatched the paper from her with annoyance and glanced at it briefly. It was a piece of the Scorpio section of the horoscopes. The newspaper's predictions were written over in pen by this woman's clear but hurried scrawl.

 _You will meet an annoying woman today, give her coffee and she will go away._

He looked up at her with a glower and tried not to smile. He wasn't about to reward bad behavior. They held a staring match for a few moments, he glaring at her, she looking at him expectantly with her hands clasped under her chin.

With a sigh, he moved behind the counter and poured some coffee into a styrofoam cup.

"Yay!" she cried and took the cup from him, took a sip and reveled in the taste, "Mm, that is good. You've just got yourself a new customer."

"Oh goodie," he remarked in a mock giddy tone that sounded completely out of character.

"Hey," she said as she backed toward the door. She nodded at him as if to indicate the horoscope he was holding. "Keep that in your wallet, it might bring you luck."

Luke found himself watching after her, long after she'd left the diner and hopped into a jeep outside where a young girl waited and drove off. He looked at the paper in his hand and then back at the spot where her jeep had been.

A small smile crept into the corners of his mouth as he thought about her, sliding the paper into the little pocket of his flannel shirt until he had the time to dig out his wallet.

Never in his life had he met anyone like her. No girl had ever overwhelmed his thoughts like this before. As he continued working, he found his world felt a little emptier without her. Which was crazy since he'd only known her for a few short minutes. He found himself looking out the window, seeing if she would come back. Hoping she'd come back.


	2. Diner Dinner

She came back. That evening during the dinner crowd, she walked in with a young girl behind her. The girl Luke had seen in the jeep. They were remarkably similar, right down to the startling blue eyes. Luke wondered if they were sisters.

"I know, sit down and wait my turn, right?" the woman asked as if it were an inside joke between them. The diner was a lot calmer now, with only a few town regulars there to have dinner.

The two girls sat at an old Formica table on the red cushioned metal chairs beside it. He placed some menus in front of them.

"I'm Lorelai, by the way," she said, offering him her hand to shake. He found the touch of her soft hand exhilarating. "And this is my daughter, Rory."

"O-oh, hello," he said, trying to hide his shock as he shook the little girl's hand as she smiled shyly at him. He glanced back at Lorelai to see her smirking, having witnessed this sort of reaction only a thousand times.

"Ah so, do you know what you want?" he asked nervously.

"Well, we haven't had a chance to look yet," Lorelai said.

"Right, I'll leave you to it," he said and retreated behind the counter. He saw Lorelai lean over to her daughter and whisper something, glancing at Luke more than once. Whatever Lorelai said made Rory giggle and look over at Luke with a sweet smile.

Rory was the kind of kid you couldn't help liking, even if you weren't that fond of kids like he was. Most kids he knew were loud and obnoxious, or in his nephew's case, troublemakers. Rory, on the other hand, seemed more adult than child, sitting there and talking with her mother like they were the same age.

Watching them, he suddenly realized he had met Rory before. Or seen her anyway. She had been wearing these white angel wings on a day when Halloween was several months away, and she had wandered into the diner on her own to invite Miss Patty, who had been one of his first regulars, to a caterpillar's funeral.

"Oh, Duke!" Lorelai called out as she waved the menu up to get his attention. He shook himself and returned to the table.

"The name is Luke," he said. Lorelai smirked but chose to ignore him.

"I'll take a cheeseburger and some fries. What about you, kid?" she asked Rory.

"The same," the girl grinned as she handed over her menu.

"And two cups of coffee," Lorelai added. Luke looked at Rory.

"Isn't she a little young for coffee?" he asked.

"What's too young?" Lorelai asked. Luke shook his head, it was none of his business.

"Alright, two cheeseburgers, fries and two cups of coffee," he read of his order pad.

"Thanks, Duke," Lorelai beamed.

"It's Luke," he said as he gritted his teeth and headed to the kitchen to cook their food.

"There you are," he said later as he set down their plates of food. He'd already served them their coffee.

"Another refill, Duke," Lorelai said.

"Is she always this obnoxious?" Luke asked Rory. The girl grinned.

"Only when she breathes," she said with amusement.

"Hey," Lorelai cried, "I'm your ride home, missy."

"I could walk you home," Luke found himself saying before he realized how creepy it sounded. Why had he felt the need to join their banter? Rory seemed unalarmed, however.

"I might have to take you up on that," she quipped. Luke smiled nervously.

"You two need anything else?"

"Uh, refill?" Lorelai reminded him, shaking her mug at him. He walked to the counter and grabbed the pot so he could fill the mugs. When Luke wasn't busy, he watched Lorelai and Rory from the pretense of washing the counters. He took extra time to clear a table near theirs to listen to them interact.

"Hey, Duke, how is your pie?" Lorelai asked. He sighed at her insistence at using the wrong name and turn to address her.

"People seem to like it, you two want a slice?"

"Sure," Lorelai smiled. She walked over to the counter and watched as he plated the pie. "So, Rory and I just moved into our very own house and we're having a big party tomorrow to break it in."

"Congratulations," he said genuinely and set the plates before her.

"You should come," she said with a smile. He visibly got flustered and began to fiddle with the coffee machine to give his hands something to do.

"I don't know, I get pretty busy around here," he said.

"Oh sure," she said, and sound a little disappointed, "Rory and I just wanted to get to know this town more. I've known Miss Patty and Babette for some time, Babette is our neighbor actually, I'd like to see more of this small town color. I've only seen bits and pieces at the Independence Inn but I think I'm going to like Stars Hollow."

"It's one big outpatient mental hospital," he drawled. Lorelai giggled.

"You've lived here for some time then," she said.

"I was born here, somehow I didn't get hit with the stick that made everyone else crazy," Luke said. He liked having made her laugh, and wondered if he could make her do it again. He was rewarded with another laugh as she took up the plates of pie.

"Thanks," she said and went back to her daughter. He smiled to himself as he worked behind the counter, glancing back at the Formica table every now and again. He was cleaning the stove when Lorelai approached the cash register to pay. He put down the rag and cleaner and handled her bill.

"How much do I owe for the pie?" she asked.

"On the house," he said with a wave of his hand, "Welcome to the mental ward." This earned him a grin.

"Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship," she quoted. He watched mother and daughter leave with a wave, and he sighed when they were gone, feeling that hollow sensation once again.

He found himself looking forward to going to their party after all.


	3. The Party

The house was a little run down, but Luke could see the potential in it. He'd casually asked Babette about the time of Lorelai's party that morning and had closed the diner to drive over that evening. Now he sat in the cab of his truck looking out the window at the soft blue-gray two story home.

Already he could see a lot of people had shown up, East-side Tilly was talking to Reverend Skinner on the porch and through the light in the window, he could see people milling around inside. Luke took off his cap, the one that his dad had given him several years ago. He ran his fingers through his hair and looked in the side mirror at his reflection. Grimacing, he stuffed the hat back on his head and got out of the truck.

He made his way to the house, hands in his pockets, nodding to the people he knew. Many of whom were surprised to see him there. He wasn't known as a social butterfly. He never participated in anything. He glanced at the porch and noticed that some of the posts needed new supports. Some of the wood planks on the floor were warped by years of rain and snow, they would need replacing. The windows needed new sealant before winter came to keep the house warm and dry. He noticed Tilly hurry into the house and found Miss Patty as he himself stepped through the open front door. He saw them talking, looking at him with bemused smiles. He rolled his eyes and made his way from the foyer into the living room.

There wasn't any furniture there, but for an armchair and TV. He saw one corner of the ceiling was cracking, some of the steps on the flight of stairs were loose. The fireplace needed some real TLC. The rest of the space was filled with people talking in micro groups. He saw Babette and Morey talking with Taylor Doose, and Kirk was inspecting the house as if he were a contractor and not a dweeby weirdo with very little grasp on any kind of skills involving houses. He turned towards where the living room ran into the kitchen area at the same time Lorelai appeared. Her eyes lit up when she saw him.

"Hey, you made it after all," she said.

"Yeah, well, the diner was dead tonight so I closed early," he told her with a shrug. Although in truth he had shooed out his last customers in order that he could close early. She grinned and put her arm around him like they were old friends.

"Come on into the kitchen. We've got beer, soda, whatever you want," she said. All too soon she let go of him and Luke wished she would stay close to him all night. Lorelai was all the social butterfly that he was not, flying around from person to person, enchanting the house with fun and laughter. Luke took a beer and pulled a long swig as he watched her. Through a break in the crowd, Luke saw Rory sitting on the floor of a room with only a girl's bed as it's furniture. She was sipping a soda and letting a girl he knew was the Kims' daughter share the can with her.

He came to the door and smiled when they made eye contact.

"Hi Luke," Rory said and stood up. "You like it? This is going to be my room." Luke poked his head in further to see a little better. It was a good sized room, perfect for one small girl. Stacks of books were all over the floor and on one wall was a bulletin board with a Harvard banner and brochures pinned to it. Luke couldn't help but notice some damages to the walls and the need for a fresh coat of paint.

"It's really nice," he said, "if you and your mom need any help fixing some things, I could come by anytime. My dad taught me a few things."

"Really? That would be great, actually. Mom knows nothing about fixing stuff unless it can be fixed by a sewing machine," Rory said.

"Lane," came the stern voice of Mrs. Kim. Lane got up quickly and handed Rory the soda can, wiping her mouth on her sleeve.

"Yes, Mama?" Lane asked.

"Time to go, too much making merry going on here. Say goodbye to Rory," Mrs. Kim said and eyed Luke suspiciously for being so near her daughter. Luke backed away from the door and waved at the Korean girl as she followed her mother out of the house.

"That woman is scary," Luke said loud enough that Rory could here. Rory giggled.

"Yeah, a little," she said.

"Do you need any shelves for your books?" Luke asked, "I could make you some."

"That's really nice, but no thank you. I've sort of got a system worked out," Rory said.

"Oh, good," Luke nodded. He searched for something else to say that would be kid appropriate and remembered the bulletin board.

"So, you're planning to go to Harvard someday?" he asked.

"That's the hope," Rory said, looking self-conscious, "I just hope I'm smart enough."

"I'm sure you are if you're already reading Charles Dickens," Luke said as he glanced at one of the titles on the floor.

"Are you hungry? Mom's friend Sookie made a bunch of food. She's the chef at the inn and her food is always delicious."

"Sure," Luke said and followed her to the counter where a full spread of food sat waiting to be eaten. Everything looked super fancy. Rory noticed his trepidation and began giving him suggestions on what to try. As she was, Lorelai found them together and smiled. Once again Rory had charmed the pants off a former stranger, and a grumpy looking one at that.

Rory noticed her mother as she approached them.

"Hey, Luke said he could help us fix a few things around the house," Rory told her.

"Really," Lorelai said with her eyes raised as she looked Luke over. He gave a shrug. "You run a full-service diner?"

"Before it was a diner, the place was my dad's hardware store. He taught me a few things about house maintenance," he said with another shrug like it was no big deal.

"Well, thanks for the offer. This house could really use some help, but I couldn't really pay you. Money is a little tight right now," Lorelai said.

"There's no need to pay me, I don't mind helping," Luke said.

"I can't just let you do it for free. I don't want to owe you anything," she said.

"You wouldn't," Luke answered.

"I'd really prefer giving you something," she said.

"Well then, how about we compromise on you paying for the materials needed," he replied.

"Alright, thank you," she said and smiled. He gave her a smile back and ducked his head, trying one of the appetizers on his plate.

"This is really good," he commented.

"Sookie will be pleased to hear it," Lorelai said. He was trying to form the words to a question when someone called to Lorelai from the living room. She excused herself and left Luke standing awkwardly with Rory. He finished eating and placed the paper plate in the trash.

"So, uh, I'd better get back home," he said to Rory, "I have early deliveries tomorrow morning."

"Thank you for coming," Rory said.

"Yeah. Come by the diner anytime," he said with a smile and made his way to the door with a wave. Lorelai was in the middle of a conversation when she noticed Luke heading for the door. He caught her eye and waved. She waved back, a curious look on her face before her attention was taken by Kirk telling her something about mold.

Walking back to his truck, Luke stopped to look up at the stars. The sky was clear and beautiful on this late summer night.

"Hey Luke," Lorelai called after him. He turned back to her.

"You got my name right," he said. Lorelai bit back a grin as she came nearer.

"You leaving already?" she asked.

"Yeah, got an early day," he said with an apologetic smile.

"Oh, okay. Well, have a good night," she said warmly. He nodded and started to turn.

"See you tomorrow at Luke's?"

Luke paused and look back at her.

"Tomorrow at Luke's," he answered with a nod. They parted, Lorelai watching him get in his truck before walking back to the house. He watched her retreating form with longing and then looked at his hands, drawing circles in his palm with his thumb. After a long moment, he started the engine and drove off.


	4. The Bike Scrape

Several weeks passed where Luke had the pleasure of seeing Lorelai and Rory as often as their finances would allow. As school started again for Rory, she would often meet Lorelai after school at the diner where she would tell Lorelai all about her day as being a fifth grader. Most often Lane was with Rory when they came in, and Luke would treat them to a donut or danish, depending on what was available that day.

It had rained this particular day and there were puddles everywhere. Luke was clearing a table during an afternoon lull when he glanced up to see Rory coming around the corner on a bike near Miss Patty's Dance Studio, Lane riding behind her. Rory noticed a little late that a puddle had formed in the crosswalk, she tried to avoid it by taking her bike onto the sidewalk, but the wheel went one way and Rory went the other. She landed face down on the cement.

Luke abandoned the table he was clearing and rushed out towards the curb across the street, dodging the cars that were coming by. Lane was already helping Rory sit up and Miss Patty had come out of her studio with a trail of curious kids. Rory removed her pink helmet with a blue flower pattern, her face red from embarrassment and blood.

"You okay, honey?" Miss Patty asked as Luke bent down to Rory's level. Rory nodded and winced as blood dripped from her nose. Her whole face was raw from rubbing against the pavement. Realizing he still had a towel in hand, Luke folded to a clean side and pressed it to her nose and face. Rory held it there while Luke looked over her other injuries.

"Man, you really biffed it," Luke said as he examined the scrapes on her arms and hands. "Here, I've got a first aid kit in the diner." Luke helped Rory to stand and helped her across the street, Lane helped on her other side.

"I should have been watching where I was going," Rory said.

"It's my fault," Lane said, "I kept talking about my misadventures at bible camp. I distracted you."

"Falling off a bike is part of life," Luke said, "I've done it plenty of times."

Luke sat her in a chair when they were inside the diner and went into the storeroom for his well-stocked first aid kit hanging on the wall. He came back with antiseptic, bandages, and clean gauze.

"Do you think it's broken?" Rory asked as she took the kitchen towel away from her nose. An ugly scab was already forming there where the pavement had scraped the flesh. Luke reached over and gingerly touch the bridge of her nose.

"I think you're fine," Luke said. He used the gauze to clean the scrapes on her face with the antiseptic and then moved to the road rash on Rory's arms. Lorelai entered the diner and her brows furrowed with concern when she saw Luke playing doctor on Rory.

"What's this? My baby's broken?" she asked and came over to the table, absently removing her purse and took Rory's face in her hands to inspect it.

"I'm not broken, just lost a fight with the sidewalk on my bike," Rory said. Lorelai shook her head and kissed the scab on Rory's nose.

"I tried to tell you, biking and Lorelais don't mix."

Luke finished bandaging Rory's arms and stood up.

"That should keep them from getting infected," he said. Lorelai looked at him with gratitude. She hated not being the one to bandage Rory, but she was glad that Luke had filled in.

"Thank you, Luke, for taking care of my baby," Lorelai said as she held Rory close a moment. Luke was visibly pleased as he shrugged.

"No trouble, glad to help. You want some pie, Rory? I have one fresh from the oven and it's cooling in the storeroom."

"Yes, please," Rory smiled. "I should scrape my nose more often."

"If you keep this up, you'll wreck your pretty face. Then you'll never get a man," Lorelai said sagely. Luke came back with a slice of pie that was still warm.

"Rory, I got to get home. But I'm glad you're okay," Lane said.

"Okay, see you tomorrow," Rory said. She pulled the pie towards her and took a bite as Lane exited the diner.

"Mm, blackberry," Rory said. Lorelai sat beside her and grabbed a fork from the table to steal a bite.

"Hey, get your own pie!" Rory said indignantly.

"You won't share with your own mama?" Lorelai asked melodramatically. "I gave you life!"

"Did you fly off a bike and land face first?" Rory asked. Lorelai pouted.

"Fine. Hey, Luke?" Lorelai asked and turned around, "Luke?"

But Luke wasn't even in the diner. While she and Rory had been establishing territory over the pie, Luke had gone out to grab Rory's bike from the sidewalk and was walking it back into the diner.

"Why are you bringing it in here?" Lorelai asked.

"It got a little banged up, too," Luke said, "I have some tools upstairs to fix it." Lorelai beamed.

"Wow, you are a stand-up guy, Luke Danes," she said. His chest puffed with pleasure as he leaned the bike against the wall and he went up the stairs to his apartment.

When he came down and began tightening screws, Lorelai walked over to stand nearby.

"So Luke, I'd like to thank you again. For patching up Rory, and for fixing her bike," she said.

"I'm glad to," he said without stopping his work.

"You really don't know how much it means to me. That you care about Rory. She doesn't have a lot of males in her life. And not many of them she can count on," Lorelai said with a grimace, "So, thank you." Luke stopped tightening the tire nut to look up at her.

"Rory's a great kid," he said.

"I know," Lorelai said with a smile. Luke swallowed as he looked at her from where he was on the floor. Once again he tried to work out the question he had tried many times to ask. But he couldn't seem to find the words, to decide if she wanted him to ask. He was quiet a moment too long and she backed away.

"Well," she said and walked back to her table. Frustrated with himself, he got a little aggressive with his wrench and stripped the nut. He cursed angrily and got up.

"Sorry," he muttered as he noticed the girls staring at him in surprise. He disappeared back up to his apartment, kicking the door as he went.


	5. Always Saying Bye, Never I Love You

It was Saturday, Rory was in her room doing homework and Lorelai was pacing outside the front door. He was out on her porch fixing the posts. When Luke had shown up that morning, she had welcomed him and he had gotten to work while Lorelai had gone into the house. After sitting in her kitchen with her coffee a moment, Lorelai had gotten up and headed for the door, only to change her mind at the last moment and head back to the kitchen. She'd done this four more times, back and forth. Draining three cups of coffee and nearly finished with her fourth, she finally opened the door and stepped out onto the porch.

Luke stood on a ladder, wearing red flannel and his hat sat backward on his head.

"How goes it?" she asked, holding her mug in both hands.

"Not bad, this shouldn't take me too long," he said.

"Good," she said and drained her fourth cup of coffee. Already she was twitchy as she watched him.

"Can I try the drill thingy?" she asked. Luke stopped what he was doing and looked at her doubtfully.

"Drill thingy? I'm not sure anyone who calls it a drill thingy should be anywhere near a power drill," Luke drawled.

"What if I called it Earl?" Lorelai asked.

"Are you sure you can operate this safely?" Luke asked holding up the drill.

"I can successfully apply mascara while driving without poking my eye," Lorelai offered.

"I'm not sure if that qualifies you to handle a drill," he said and then sighed. He climbed down the ladder and waved her over.

"I've already got a screw half way in, you can finish drilling it in," he said.

"Mwahaha!" Lorelai laughed as she took the drill in both hands.

"See, that's not making me feel any better about giving you that drill," Luke said.

"Relax, I'm cool," Lorelai said and climbed the ladder. She set the drill bit in the screw and drilled it in. "Ha, I'm the Annie Oakley of drillers."

"Great, now are you done?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm over it," Lorelai said with a mock yawn, stretching her arms out wide.

"Geez, watch where you swing that," Luke said, "are you mental?" He took the drill from her.

"Sorry," she said guiltily and bit her lip.

"It's fine," he said patiently, "can you get down now so I can finish?" She climbed down and then stood back to watch again. Admiring a nice male physique until she realized who she was admiring and snapped out of it.

She went back inside and let Luke finish working. At noon, Lorelai brought him out some leftover pizza from the night before.

"Thanks," he said, having finished his work and Lorelai invited him to sit on the porch swing with her.

"Thank you for coming over and helping," Lorelai said. Luke shrugged.

"Anytime," he said.

"Really, even in the middle of the night?" Lorelai teased.

"Only for emergencies," he said. Lorelai chuckled and watch him eat. Once again she found herself enjoying her view a little too much. It was only when Luke noticed and gave a questioning look that she stopped herself.

"Something on my face?" he asked.

"Yeah, pizza sauce on your nose," she said as cover. She grinned when he wiped his hand at nothing. He glared and finished the pizza slice.

"Well, I've got to get back to the diner," he said.

"Thanks again. Bring Earl by again sometime," Lorelai said as she walked him down the steps. He nodded, smiling in spite of himself. She was ridiculous, but it was part of her charm.

"Bye," he said and headed back to the diner in his truck.

* * *

Some nights later, Luke was getting ready to close for the night when Lorelai walked in wearing a black low-cut dress, hair loosely curled, and looking amazing. He had a hard time not looking as she came in and walked to the counter. She hopped onto a stool and face planted on the counter.

"I know you're closing, but could I please have some coffee and curly fries?" Lorelai asked without lifting her head.

"Rough night?" he asked a little curious why she was dressed so nice. Lorelai sighed dramatically.

"Dating sucks," she said into the counter. Luke stiffened a little and then let it go. Of course she would date, and other people. Other people who actually asked her out. He sighed, too.

"Don't I know it," he muttered, "and when you finally do find someone, you think it's going well. But then, she decides that she needs to _find herself!"_ Lorelai looked up at that, raised eyebrows.

"Huh?" she asked.

"Right, your thing," Luke said apologetically.

"Why do guys like to list their achievements like they are a racehorse you're looking to buy?"

"I don't know. Why do some girls pretend they aren't very hungry and order a salad. But when your dinner shows up, she ends up eating most of what's on your plate?"

Lorelai snorted, "Well, how about a guy that's nice and well groomed. He has all his hair, reads, is a civilized human being. Then you mention you have a kid, and then all of a sudden it's like you have the bird flu and he can't wave down the check fast enough."

They went on trying to one-up each other with bad dates. Luke served her the coffee and fries. As Lorelai was telling another one, Kirk entered the diner.

"Go home, Kirk, we're closed," Luke barked.

"Well, usually, but your sign isn't turned . . . ," Kirk began to say.

"Out."

"But Lorelai . . . ."

"Out!" Luke said more sharply, pointing at the door. Lorelai chuckled and slid off the stool. Luke frowned. "You don't have to go yet."

"I know, I'm sorry. This was really fun, but I got to get Rory from the Kim's. Before they convert her to an all soy diet."

"Fair enough," he said, though he felt deflated to see her go.

"Thanks for the cheer up," she smiled, hugged her shawl around her and slipped out the door.

"Bye," he said meekly.


	6. Sick Day

As the seasons grew colder, Luke knew that fall was making room for winter to take over. He set out slip mats and prepared for the orders of hot cocoa that would start coming in. As the world got colder, Luke began seeing Lorelai and Rory around more often. Lorelai had gotten a nice raise that allowed her a little extra cash to eat out more often.

That morning, Lorelai come in alone, a secret smile on her lips, like she knew something no one else knew. She chose a stool at the counter and waited for Luke to take her order.

"What are you so happy about?" Luke grumbled as he approached her.

"It's going to snow tonight," Lorelai said, "I can feel it in the air."

"No, it's not. The weatherman didn't say anything about snow," Luke said.

"It is, I have never been wrong. Not since I was a little girl," Lorelai smiled. Luke decided not to argue and changed the subject.

"What will you have?" he asked.

"Coffee and a danish," she said.

"That is not a proper breakfast. You need some protein and fiber," he said.

"I'm not really that hungry this morning. I was nursing poor sick Rory last night," Lorelai said.

"Rory is sick?" Luke asked, an edge to his voice as if to accuse her of not bringing it up sooner.

"She came home with the chicken pox yesterday. The school nurse sent her home early so she wouldn't get other kids infected. Babette volunteered to sit with her this morning while I go to work."

"Aw man, poor kid," he said sincerely.

"She's handling it like a trooper. She'll be fine in a few days," Lorelai said. Luke poured her some coffee and got her a danish.

"Does Rory want anything? Danish? Pie? Some pancakes?" Luke asked as he handed her the danish.

"No, she doesn't have much of an appetite. Oddly enough, though, she has this desire for mashed potatoes. We're out of potato flakes, so I'll have to get more at Doose's before I go home."

"Well, let me know if there is anything I can do," Luke said. Lorelai smiled and touched his hand.

"Will do," she said and got up, "I'd better go. I have this feeling it's going to be one of those days."

After Lorelai was gone, Luke went about his business of taking orders and thinking about Rory.

Later that day, just after noon, Lorelai's bell rang and Miss Patty came to answer it.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" Miss Patty said with a saucy grin as she looked Luke up and down while he stood there with a pot of mashed potatoes in his hands.

"I thought Lorelai said that Babette was here," he said. Babette was one thing, Miss Patty was completely another.

"She was, but she remembered she had a vet appointment for Cinnamon so she called me to take over. So, you brought Rory some mashed potatoes? Aren't you thoughtful," Miss Patty said.

"Lorelai mentioned Rory wanted mashed potatoes," he said with a shrug.

"Uh huh," Miss Patty said with a knowing look and stepped away so he could come in. He went to the kitchen and set the pot on the table. Feeling self-conscious under Patty's gaze, Luke walked to Rory's door that was open and knocked on the doorframe.

"Uh, Rory? It's Luke, may I come in?" he asked.

"Luke? Sure you can come in," Rory said from her bed. She lay in her bed, pock-marked and clad in a pink nightgown under a flowered quilt. Her arms were covered in lobster claw oven mitts. Rory smiled at Luke as she sat up.

"Hi, what brings you over to the house?" she asked.

"Your mother mentioned you were sick. I brought you some mashed potatoes," he said. Rory's face lit up.

"You did? Oh my gosh, you're the best," Rory said. Luke felt pleased to have made her so happy.

"Do you want me to bring you some?" he asked.

"Yes, please," she said.

"I'll just be in the living room, honey," Miss Patty said with a smile and left the kitchen. Luke found a bowl in the cupboard by the sink and brought Rory back her mashed potatoes. Rory was using her shoulder to rub at the pocks on her ear that itched.

"The itching is driving me crazy," Rory moaned. Luke noticed the calamine lotion on the table by her bed and set the mashed potatoes on the bed so he could grab the lotion. He applied some lotion to his fingers and then rubbed it into Rory's ear.

"Thanks," Rory said with a sigh.

"No problem," Luke said. Rory looked at the potatoes and then at her oven mitt hands.

"Mom made me promise I'd only take the mitts off if there was someone around to prevent me from scratching myself raw," Rory said.

"Don't worry, I'll stop you before you start gnawing your own arm off," Luke smiled. Rory giggled as she took off the mitts and took a bite of the mashed potatoes.

"Wow, these are the best mashed potatoes I've ever eaten," Rory said.

"It's my mom's recipe. She would stir in leftover bacon from breakfast with a little bit of cheese," he said.

"Thank you, Mrs. Danes," Rory said. Luke smiled and knew his mother would have loved Rory if she were alive. He sat with her and intervened when Rory's hands would absently reach to her face or arms to scratch at one of the red blisters. He helped her put the mitts back on once she was done eating.

"You doing okay in here? Wit Miss Patty?" he asked, adding the last with a whisper. Rory giggled again.

"Oh yes, Miss Patty has been telling me stories. It helps keep my mind off the itching, especially since I can't read books on my own with these lobster claws."

"Oh boy," Luke said with a wince. He could only imagine what kind of education Miss Patty was giving this twelve-year-old girl about her many husbands. He looked around and saw Huckleberry Finn nearby. A book he remembered as one of the few books he had enjoyed reading in school.

He picked up the book and flipped through it.

"I could read to you if you'd like," he offered hesitantly.

"Really?" Rory asked.

"Sure, Cesar and Cho can manage things for me for a while," Luke said. Rory laid back on her pillow and cuddled under her quilt as she waited for him to begin. Carefully Luke sat beside her on the bed and opened to the first chapter. His reading voice was rusty, he hadn't read aloud since high school. He stumbled a little on a few of Mark Twain's words. Rory helped him, which was a little embarrassing, but soon he found a nice flow and his voice got stronger, more confident.

It was to his surprise that he felt Rory's head rest closer to his side as he leaned against the headboard. Silently, he put a hand on her shoulder as he continued to read.

Several hours later, Lorelai came home with a box of potato flakes and greeted Miss Patty in the living room. After a quick report on Rory, Miss Patty, with a twinkle in her eye, said she had to get going and left the house.

Lorelai went to check on Rory and was surprised to find Luke there on the bed with her. Rory's arms were wrapped around his waist as he read to her, seemingly unaware that his audience was fast asleep. She noticed on the night table a bowl of half eaten mashed potatoes and was about melted by it all. Lorelai didn't know anyone as selfless as Luke, and it amazed her at how often she turned around and there he was providing her with what she needed, without her even asking.

Luke finally noticed her standing there and looked up to see Lorelai smiling at him. He looked down at Rory to see her sleeping and quietly closed the book. Lorelai went over to the bed as Luke carefully removed himself from off the bed without waking Rory. He gave her a gentle pat on the head and an unguarded smile of affection before turning to Lorelai. She waved to him to follow her out of the room.

"Thanks, for bringing Rory her potatoes," Lorelai said in a low voice when they were in the kitchen.

"Sure," Luke said with a shrug.

"You've really cemented yourself on Rory's list of favorite people," Lorelai said. "She loves Huckleberry Finn."

"It's a good book," he said. Silently he wondered where he was on this woman's list of favorite people. "How was your day?"

Lorelai groaned as she turned and walked over to start her coffee machine brewing.

"I hired this new Concierge and he started his first day today. He's this French guy and he was very nice at the interview and his resume was impeccable. But today, we had a few issues. FIrst, he got in a fight with Sookie when he asked for a special lunch. Then he got into an argument with a guest and I ended up having to offer them a free dinner and a discount on their room so they would stay. Let's just say it's a good thing I left early to be home with Rory before I squeezed his little French head of his body."

"Sounds like you should fire him if he's that much trouble."

"Maybe, but I gave him his first warning and hoping he tries harder to get along with everyone. I don't want to have to go through another interview process."

"I understand," Luke said as he rooted through her kitchen drawers and found a Tupperware to scoop the mashed potatoes into and put them in the refrigerator. Lorelai stepped away from her coffee maker and put her hands on Luke's shoulders.

"Thank you, Luke," she said sincerely. As she looked up at him, Luke marveled at how beautiful she was, even with the dark smudges under her eyes. She was so close like she was waiting for him. He had just decided he was going to lean down and brush her lips against his.

Off in the living room, the phone rang and shattered the moment as they broke away from each other like deer on the highway. Lorelai moved to get the phone, just as her heart was trying to settle.

"Hello?" she asked weakly. She listened to the caller as she watched Luke head for the door, waving and mouthing he needed to go. She nodded and frowned, annoyed that her mother was yet again calling at the most inconvenient time.


	7. Poof, Gone

The new year rang in and turned into February. It was a quiet afternoon just after a sizable lunch rush. It gave Luke a chance to stretch and go through the cash register drawer, the receipts, and think about Lorelai. Who was he kidding, anytime was time for thinking about Lorelai. She came into his mind every day, no matter what he was doing. When she came in, Luke would usually get to her first, even when there were others who had been waiting longer.

She hadn't been in for the last few weeks. It made him antsy not being able to see her, not knowing where she was or when she would show up. The one time she had appeared, it had been brief. She'd grabbed a coffee, looking tired, and said she was in charge of her first wedding event and it was kicking her butt. He'd offered her a donut, which she took with a smile and that had been the last he'd seen of her.

Luke saw Rory plenty, many evenings she would come in for dinner alone because her mother was working overtime to get everything ready for the wedding coming up at the inn. If he wasn't busy, sometimes he'd sit with her and play Go Fish. Rory would beat him almost every time and their game became something that Rory seemed to come to the diner for, besides just a proper meal.

That afternoon, while he watched for his favorite girls to show up, the old phone on the wall rang. He was answering it as Rory came inside with an expectant smile his way. He held up a finger to tell her one moment as he answered the call.

After a moment, his face grew stony as he listened.

"Jess? Wait, slow down. Yeah? Okay," he said. He listened, then cursed and hit the counter. "I knew it, I told her! I'll be right there, Jess, just sit tight." He slammed the phone back on the wall and shouted in frustration.

"Is everything okay?" Rory asked nervously.

"Family emergency," he sighed. He looked around the room at his customers, "Okay folks, I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to close early. If you could please finish up, or take a to-go box, it would be really helpful."

He went to the door and swung the sign over. Rory followed him as he grabbed a stack of styrofoam containers and helped him pass them out to the customers left in the diner Rory followed him up to his apartment when they were done.

"Is there anything I can do?" she asked.

"No, I can handle it. Oh, Rory," he said suddenly and looked at her guiltily, "your dinner. I don't have time to make you anything."

"That's okay, I can go to Al's Pancake World," she said, waving off his concern. He pulled out his wallet and handed her a ten.

"Here, on me," he said.

"Luke, you don't need to do that," Rory said. He pressed it into her hand and she was forced to take it, "Thanks."

"Raincheck on our card game," he said with a smile.

"I'll hold you to that," she said with a grin.

"You can take a donut on your way out," he said. Rory couldn't help but reach over and give him a hug, which surprised him.

"Good luck," she said softly as she pulled away. He nodded, a little self-conscious.

"Tell your mother I'll see her later," he said. Rory waved and headed back down to the diner. Luke threw some clothes into a beat up duffle bag and hurried down the stairs. The last few of his customers were filing out and he asked Cesar to close as he headed out the door and through his bag into the back of his truck.

"Gone?" Lorelai asked as they stared into the diner that was dark and empty the next evening. Of course, fate would have it where the night she was finally able to come and enjoy the cheeseburger she had been craving, that was the evening that Luke's was closed.

"Gone," Rory confirmed sadly.

"And he didn't say where he was going?" Lorelai asked her daughter.

"Nope. Just mentioned that it was a family emergency. He looked pretty worried, I hope it's not too bad," Rory said with a frown. Lorelai put an arm around Rory and they turned away from the diner.

"So, what now? Al's?" she asked.

"I already ate there last night," Rory said, "How about pizza?"

"You bet," Lorelai smiled as they walked in the direction of the pizza place.

It took almost a week before Luke came back, and he was just as ill-tempered as when he had left. Anyone who knew him gave him his space when they came into the diner that evening. Lorelai was happy to see the place alive again as she walked through the door with Rory. While Rory found a table, Lorelai scouted out the man Luke's was named for. She was about to look behind the curtain when Luke suddenly appeared with a rustle of gray gingham.

"Luke! Where have you been?" Lorelai cried.

"What are you doing back here?" he asked angrily, "Employees only." He walked to the kitchen with his arms carrying a tray of hamburger buns.

"Why hello, Lorelai, it is indeed a pleasure to see you again," Lorelai said to herself in a deep semi-old English tone. Luke sighed as he put down his load.

"Sorry, I'm just in a hurry," he said. He glanced at her with a fleeting smile and then began to cook some patties. "I assume you'd like a burger?"

"Yes, thank you," Lorelai said as she stood outside the doorway to the stove. She watched him work a moment.

"So, is everything okay with your family?" she asked.

"I don't want to talk about it," he grumbled.

"Oh, someone's a grumpus today," she said in a mock baby voice.

"Would you just leave it alone, Lorelai?!" he asked as he slammed his spatula on the stovetop. Lorelai winced and took a step back.

"Luke, I'm sorry. Usually, it seems like your grumpiness is just an act, but now I know the difference. Please forgive me," she said pleadingly. He took off the patties before they burned and turned back to her guiltily.

"No, I'm sorry. You didn't deserve that. It's just . . . been a long week," he said.

 _I'll say_ , she thought. Somehow him being gone had been the longest week of her life, even compared to all of those weeks she spent on the wedding.

"Maybe you should have postponed opening the diner until tomorrow so you could have the evening to yourself," Lorelai suggested.

"Nah, I needed the work to take my mind off of it," Luke said, "besides, you wouldn't have left me alone until you got your coffee fix."

"Me?" she asked in disbelief, "Why would you think that?" Luke just rolled his eyes and continued to cook. Lorelai turned to go, but not before overhearing him say, "It is good to see you again."


	8. Come on and Break It

Lorelai sat at the counter eating her fries and sipping coffee while Luke went around taking orders and serving food. When he had a few minutes, he came behind the counter and pretended to be working while he stood near her.

"You look nice today," he commented casually. Lorelai wore a red blouse and a black skirt.

"Thanks. Since it's Valentine's Day, I thought I'd dress up a little for work," Lorelai said and then sighed, "not like I have anything else to dress up for today."

Here was the perfect opening. Luke eyed her carefully, wondering if her comment was calculated. Watching her face, though, it didn't seem like she was being coy.

"Valentine's is a waste of a holiday anyhow," Luke said as a way of consoling her. "A day solely meant for greeting card companies to make another profit. Suddenly your whole relationship boils down to whether or not you got her chocolates and flowers or sparkling jewelry."

Lorelai smiled as she watched him rant. Appreciating the way he tried to cheer her up, even if it was a pessimistic attempt.

"Maybe you're right. It can be silly. But I think it's nice. One day where all the world is celebrating love, or confessing their love for someone else."

Luke jerked at that one, maybe she was subtly hinting? Lorelai was looking into her coffee mug and seemed lost in thought. Was she going to say something or was she waiting for him to admit what he had been holding in? He fiddled with some supplies under the counter for a moment and then disappeared into his storeroom.

He was gone for long enough that Lorelai began to get curious. She eyed the coffee pot he had left on the counter and reached over to grab it for a refill. As she was, Luke returned from the back room with a plate holding a brownie. He placed it in front of Lorelai and watched her eyes widen.

He'd cut a piece of brownie from the pan in the shape of a heart, on top Luke had placed white chocolate chips to form the words Be Mine.

"Luke," she said, "you softy." She looked up at him with a smile, to which he smiled warmly back at her.

"Thank you, this is really nice," she said. Luke's smile faded in its warmth as he realized she had missed it. Missed what he had attempted to tell her, all she saw was his friendship. All she saw was Luke trying to cheer her up.

He hid his dismay behind checking the teller.

"I've got to get back to work. Enjoy the brownie," he said, his voice flat and humorless. Lorelai frowned, noticing he was upset but not knowing what she'd done.

"I've got to get going anyway," she said, standing up from the stool. She took the brownie and carefully transferred it to a napkin for the road. "Thanks again."

He nodded but didn't look her way as he turned to check the toaster for crumbs. She watched him a moment before leaving with the jingle of the door behind her.

When she was gone, Luke stepped back from the toaster he'd already cleaned out earlier that day and just stood there a moment. He closed his eyes and resigned himself to the fact that all he was in her eyes was the guy friend who poured her coffee. It hurt, but he could live with it. He'd had his heart broken worse before.


	9. Three-Quarter Time

**Note: I decided to go a different direction after I posted those last two chapters set during season 1. Sorry to any confused.**

* * *

Luke became civil and aloof towards Lorelai after Valentine's day. Lorelai noticed the difference and wished she knew why. She and Rory would come in for breakfast, he would serve them as always but he barely made eye contact with Lorelai.

"Another refill to go?" Lorelai asked Luke as she met him at the counter.

"You know, it's not healthy to drink all this coffee. You're just asking for a heart attack someday," Luke said as he poured coffee into her travel mug.

"I can't stop drinking the coffee. I stop drinking and you'll find me passed out somewhere on the street," she said.

"And you don't see the problem there?" he asked dryly.

"Hey Luke?" she asked.

"Huh?" he asked as he pinned an order up for Cesar to cook.

"Why don't you look at me?" she asked.

"I look at you," he said.

"No," she shook her head, "When you took our order you looked at Rory. When you brought the food you kept your eyes focused on the table. And now you have your back to me."

"Lorelai, I'm busy," he said, glancing over his shoulder to prove to her that she was wrong. Lorelai frowned sadly, trying to find the answers she wanted in his face but he was too good at not being read.

"I wish you'd tell me what I did," she said.

"It's nothing," he said waving his hand, "I mean, you did nothing. Can you just leave me alone?"

"Okay," she said softly. Quietly she went to the door and left with Rory.

* * *

A few days later Rory came into the diner alone after school. Luke smiled when he saw her and waved.

"Luke?" Rory asked.

"Yeah, what can I do for you? Coffee? Donut? A well-balanced meal?"

Rory giggled and shook her head.

"Um, I know you probably wouldn't like to, well I know you wouldn't like to because it's a town thing. and I know you hate town things. But I was thinking, maybe if you didn't mind . . . ."

"Geez, you're as bad as your mother. Get to the point before I become elderly," he sighed. Rory's mouth twitched in a smile.

"Well, you know the family Valentine's dance at Miss Patty's on Saturday?" she asked.

"Yeah, I know it," he grumbled.

"Well, there's going to be this father-daughter dance. I called my dad to see if he could come, but he's out in California and he wouldn't be able to make it."

"Oh, I'm sorry," he said, sensing what was coming. Rory looked at her hands.

"I know you aren't my dad. And we haven't known each other very long. But I thought it might be nice if . . . maybe you'd like to dance with me?" she asked timidly. She was prepared for him to grumble, to start in on one of his tired rants about town events.

"Okay," he said, surprising himself more than Rory.

"Really?" she asked, looking up at him.

"Sure, why wouldn't I want to dance with the prettiest girl in town?" he said with a smile. "How formal is it? Do I need to rent anything?"

"No, I think you can just do a collared shirt and tie," she said excitedly.

"Okay," he said.

"Okay," she echoed. They smiled at each other and then Lorelai came into the diner. Luke returned to his work while Rory and Lorelai sat at a table. When he took their order, he felt Lorelai put a hand on his arm.

"Luke, thanks for being Rory's date to the dance," she said.

"No problem," Luke said with a shrug. He avoided her eyes, not wanting to see the look there. The warm sparkle that would hurt him. He walked back to the kitchen to cook their meal. Lorelai sighed and hoped she could somehow mend this rift between them soon.

* * *

He grumbled as he once again found that his tie was too long at the narrow end. He tugged it off angrily and tried again. If it weren't for Rory, he would have thrown in the towel and stayed home. But he couldn't bear to disappoint her, not when Rory's own father had already done it. Whoever this punk was, Luke knew that he didn't deserve to be Rory's father.

Luke stood back from the mirror in his bathroom when he was done with the tie. He wore the only nice collared shirt he owned, the one he wore when he had to go to the bank. It was old, but still in good condition since he barely ever wore it. He ran a comb through his thick hair to smooth it down from the mess it usually was under his cap.

When he was satisfied that it was the best he could do, he took his coat from of the back of the couch and headed out to Miss Patty's.

He met his dance partner out of the front steps to the sliding door into the studio. Rory was wearing a green dress with shoulder straps and large white polka dots. Her skirt was A-line and perfect for twirling. Lorelai stood beside her in a pink sweetheart dress, but Luke didn't look too closely at her. He was still trying to get over her.

"Wow, you clean up nice," Lorelai marveled, looking him up and down.

"Thanks, you do too," he said. She smiled with pleasure and watched him take Rory's hand.

"You look good, too," he said to Rory.

"Thanks, should we go in?" she asked. He nodded and let Rory lead the way, Lorelai following after them.

Miss Patty's was decorated with pink, red and white paper hearts hanging from the ceiling. Miss Patty had prepared a dance number with her students to open the dance. Luke got some punch and sipped at it as they watched the choreographed performance. Kids dressed like Victorian couples did an elaborate folk line dance. They turned, spun, joined hands, and funneled through a tunnel of hands. The whole thing ended with the kids pairing off boy girl and posing as if to kiss.

The room clapped for them and Luke had to admit, as he clapped, that they had done a good job.

"I'd like to welcome you all to this year's Valentine's dance," Miss Patty said in greeting to her guests. "Please enjoy the food and dancing. We'll start the night off with the traditional father-daughter dance."

Several fathers moved out to the floor with their daughters. Some held babies in their arms, while others escorted girls in last year's prom dresses. Luke felt all the gossiping eyes on him as he walked out with Rory. The song My Girl began to play and they slow danced along with all the rest.

It took Luke sometime to warm up, but soon he and Rory were kickin' their heels with the best of them. One song turned into three, and Luke gave Rory a few spins before they broke away to catch their breath.

"Nice dancing," Lorelai grinned. "Have you taken lessons?"

"Just god-given talent," Luke said with a smile, hands in his pockets. Rory handed him a cup of water and Luke drank it thankfully.

They stood and watched as siblings took turns dancing with each other.

"All right, you moms and dads, time to show your kids how it's done," Miss Patty called out. A bunch of couples old and young stepped out to dance.

"If you came as Rory's dad for the evening, does that include us?" Lorelai asked Luke as she came up beside him. He looked at her curiously.

"Are you asking me to dance?" he asked.

"I don't know, are you going to ask me?" she asked with a smile. He hesitated a moment, then sighed and held out a hand to her.

"Would you like to dance?" he asked.

"I'd love to," Lorelai said and took his hand as she moved out to a space that was open. A song had already begun and other couples were dancing as Luke placed one hand on Lorelai's waist and guided her around as he counted out the three-quarter time.

"Are you sure you never took dance lessons?" Lorelai mused, impressed with his skill.

"My mother used a few rainy Saturdays when I was twelve to teach me how to dance," he admitted. Luke's eyes were on their feet as his mouth counted silently.

"Luke, why won't you look at me?" Lorelai asked. He lifted his gaze to hers as they turned in their little circle. Her eyes were sad, her head tilted in question.

"I'm trying not to step on your feet," he said. Lorelai winced at the lie.

"What did I do?" she pleaded.

"Nothing," he insisted.

"Tell me," Lorelai continued to pester.

"It hurts, okay? It hurts to look at you!" he said sharply. Lorelai stared as he flushed. Embarrassed, he left her in the middle of the dance and hurried out the sliding door. She hurried after him, catching him on the steps and grabbing his shoulder.

"Luke?" she asked a look of confusion on her face.

"Do you know the last time I cut a brownie into a heart? Never, that's when? I don't do things like that, I've never wanted to until I met you.

If I thought it would make you happy, I'd probably light my own hair on fire," he said, "But you don't see it. You don't see me, Lorelai, you only see a nice guy who pours you coffee and it hurts. But I'm mature enough to understand that attraction doesn't always go both ways. In time I will get over it, but right now, it hurts to look at you."

Even as he said it, bore his soul, he still couldn't look at her. Didn't want to see what her face would say.

"Luke," she began but he stopped her.

"No, don't, I can't hear it right now," he said quickly and hurried down the stairs.

"I do see it," she called after him. He halted on the curb and slowly turned back to look at her. Lorelai stood on the last step, looking small, frightened. "I do see it, but I'm afraid."

"Afraid?" he asked.

"Of losing you, losing what we have. Right now we are friends, good friends, but what if we aren't right together? What if I mess it up? And what about Rory? She counts on you, I can't risk ruining the bond she has with you. You have been more of a father to her in these last few months than Christopher has been her whole life."

"I will always care for Rory, no matter what might happen. And what makes you think it won't work out?"

"It's always a possibility for me," Lorelai said. Luke was now standing near where she was, he took her hands as he leaned towards her face.

"What are you do?" she asked in surprise.

"Would you just hold still?" he asked. Luke tilted his head up and kissed her from where she stood on the steps. Lorelai melted into the kiss a moment before they pulled way and stared at each other, seeing each other brand new. Lorelai broke the spell and stepped down to the sidewalk so she was level with him.

"What are you do?" Luke asked her.

"Would you hold still?" she asked tenderly as she slipped her arms around his neck and met her lips with his.

It was a moment before they heard the clapping, they pulled away from each other to see the entire town crowding the door to Miss Patty's, clapping away at the show they had just witnessed.

"Finally," Babette said, "I thought you two would never get it together."

Luke blushed but felt too wonderful to care. Let them gossip, let them tease. He had just kissed Lorelai Gilmore, and she had kissed him back.


End file.
